Chris A. M. Hermans, Kobus Schoeman (Eds.), Resilient Religion, Resilience and Heartbreaking Adversity, Berlin (LIT VERLAG) 2023, 195 pp., ISBN 978-3-643-91500-9 (pb), $49.38.

The book “Resilient Religion: Resilience and Heartbreaking Adversity,” edited by Chris A. M. Hermans and Kobus Schoeman, explores resilience amidst global challenges such as the post-COVID-19 impact, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Middle Eastern conflicts. A contemporary understanding of resilience theory, previously explored in theological disciplines like Black and African theologies, liberation theology, and pastoral theology, is systematically developed and clarified within this book, addressing its roots, significance, and challenges. The general approach of the book is analytical and interdisciplinary, combining historical, intellectual, and empirical perspectives to examine how religious resilience has evolved and how it can be applied to various contexts of trauma and adversity. For Practical Theology, the book is relevant as it provides a deepened understanding of how resilience within religious traditions can inform contemporary pastoral care and community support. Its interdisciplinary approach offers valuable insights for integrating resilience theory into practical theological applications, addressing both historical and modern challenges in faith contexts.

The book is divided into four parts: Mapping the Field (1), The Dynamic of Thinking (2), Acting: Preaching, Narrating, and Discerning (3), and Feeling, Story, and Trauma (4).

Mapping the Field includes three chapters by Chris Hermans: Heartbreaking Adversity, Processes of Resilience, and Resilient Religion. In chapter 1, Heartbreaking Adversity, Hermans explores what type of adversity religion addresses, emphasizing the existential challenge of being separated from the good life with and for others (pp. 13–14). The chapter highlights the need for mediation between human limitations and spiritual aspirations. By focusing on adversity and the inherent paradox of the human condition, Hermans underscores life’s heartbreaking challenges and the necessity of resilience.

In chapter 2, Processes of Resilience, Hermans answers what mechanisms enable people to cope with heartbreaking adversity. He identifies resilience processes that help people deal with the absence of good relationships and societal structures. Four key resilience processes are outlined: recognizing contingency, maintaining transcendental openness, experiencing happiness, and managing tragedy.

Chapter 3, Resilient Religion, addresses resilient religion and its functions. Hermans defines resilient religion as “religious systems—in a dynamic relationship with other systems—that can prevent the loss of the good and/or absence of God” (p. 47). Belief in God the Creator fosters hope and resilience, and discernment is crucial for recognizing the ultimate good rooted in God.

Collectively, these chapters contribute to understanding resilience in the context of religion and the adversities faced by individuals and communities. They provide a multifaceted view of how religious beliefs, practices, and processes foster resilience, addressing individual and communal challenges. This comprehensive approach highlights the importance of resilient religion in providing hope, support, and a sense of purpose amidst life’s adversities.

The Dynamic of Thinking section consists of two chapters: Christian Resilience and the God Symbol (Rian Venter). Venter examines how Christianity has adapted its understanding of God during historical crises, highlighting its resilience. He focuses on four key periods: the Assyrian Exile, 4th-century trinitarianism, modern social trinitarianism, and post-2000 responses to crises like Auschwitz. This adaptation underscores the role of religious intellectuals in maintaining the relevance of faith through changing times.

African Realities and Resilient Religion (Dion Forster). Forster argues for contextualizing religion to address colonial legacies and build resilience in (South) Africa. He emphasizes healing colonial wounds, addressing epistemologies, and re-centering African experiences as vital for decolonization and Africanization, ensuring that religion remains relevant and meaningful.

Both chapters highlight the necessity for religious thought and practice to evolve in response to historical and cultural crises.

Acting: Preaching, Narrating and Discerning includes three chapters by Martin Laubscher, Eugene Baron, and Kobus Schoeman. In chapter 6, Resilient Preaching? A Critical Appraisal of Johan Cilliers’ Trilogy on ‘Grace’, Laubscher, engaging with South African homiletician John Cilliers, explores how preaching can be re-imagined as an act of resilience rather than as just addressing adversities. He suggests, “Besides the challenge to relate resilient religion and preaching to particular issues and scenarios, it might be even more helpful to re-imagine preaching as such as a resilient endeavour” (p. 101). By addressing the potential failures and adversities created by poor preaching, the chapter acknowledges the heartbreaking aspects of religious practices and the need for healing through resilient preaching.

Eugene Baron advocates for integrating vulnerable stories into church spaces to enhance resilience in chapter 7, Becoming a Resilient Christian Community: A Narrative Approach. Baron suggests that meaningful dialogue between personal stories and the sacred story can help Christian communities become more resilient. The chapter addresses the heartbreaking aspects of traditional rigid approaches and the potential for healing and resilience through narratives.

Chapter 8, The Congregation as a Community of Discernment and Practice – Enhancing Resilient Religion, by Kobus Schoeman, examines how congregations can become networks of support and enhance discernment and good practices. He discusses practical strategies through empirical research on how congregations can maintain their relevance and effectiveness in times of crisis. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on congregational life illustrates the heartbreaking disruptions faced, and the chapter addresses how resilience can be cultivated in such challenging times. These chapters collectively contribute to the theme Resilient Religion, Resilience, and Heartbreaking by exploring different facets of how religious practices and communities can embody resilience in the face of adversity. Each chapter addresses significant questions about the role of preaching, narrative approaches, and congregational life in fostering resilience.

Feeling, Story, and Trauma consists of two chapters. Chapter 9, Resilience and Resistance in the Book of Job: An African Socio-Economic Hermeneutical Reading by Funlọla Olojede, applies African Biblical Hermeneutics (ABH) to the Book of Job to demonstrate how religious narratives can provide resilience in contemporary African contexts, showing the adaptability and relevance of religious texts. The Book of Job shows that resistance goes hand in hand with resilience and how his story serves as a source of inspiration for those enduring similar hardships.

Juanita Meyer’s chapter 10, Surviving My Story of Trauma: A Pastoral Theology of Resilience, focuses on how theological narratives and pastoral care can help individuals build resilience and contribute to understanding resilient religion as an active process of healing and growth. She argues that a theology of resilience is a collection of stories that tell us something about the character of the triune God as revealed through the stories in Scripture. The chapter highlights the therapeutic power of lament as a means of expressing pain and fostering resilience amid suffering. She emphasizes how hope and reconciliation are crucial in the process of taking ownership of traumatic experiences and integrating them into a broader religious narrative.

“Resilient Religion: Resilience and Heartbreaking Adversity” offers valuable insights into the intellectual and historical dimensions of religious resilience, providing a comprehensive exploration of how religious thought has adapted over time. The chapters present varied perspectives on understanding, applying, and nurturing resilience across different religious and cultural settings, combining theoretical, practical, and empirical approaches. While the book excels in detailing the adaptive nature of religious thought, it falls short in addressing the unique needs of younger generations in contemporary faith contexts. Overall, it serves as a crucial resource for scholars and practitioners in trauma, adversity, and resilience studies and is strongly recommended for researchers and professionals in Practical Theology and related disciplines. Its interdisciplinary approach not only enriches the theoretical framework but also challenges scholars to apply these insights to practical contexts, particularly in developing effective pastoral strategies and community support systems.